The American group who had been expected to complete a takeover of Sunderland have instead invested a 'very substantial sum' in the League One club.

ON THE ROAD: At what point did Sunderland go from being a big club that accidentally found themselves in League One, to becoming a genuine lower league outfit?

Goalkeepers adventuring off behind the goal in search of a ball is a routine sight on Sunday league pitches - but it's not something you expect in a 49,000-seater former top-flight stadium.

Keeper Jon McLaughlin's calamitous error cost Sunderland a direct route into round two of the FA Cup after they were held 1-1 by Gillingham on Saturday.

Sunderland supporters have reacted with concern after it was revealed owner Stewart Donald has secured a £9million loan from American investors against the club's stadium and training ground.

Midfielder Jack Rodwell could make a sensational return to the Premier League with Sheffield United. The 28-year-old has been training with the Blades in a bid to land a contract.

Aiden McGeady has been told to stay away from Sunderland's first team by manager Phil Parkinson because of his negative influence on the squad. He has been told to find a new club ahead of January.

Some caretakers managers have proved successful and gained the job permanently. Others have proved disastrous. Sportsmail take a look at some of the best and some of the worst.

Sunderland have confirmed that owner Stewart Donald is actively trying to sell the League One club after being urged to go by disgruntled fans.

The 32-year-old is out of contract following his spell in Norway with Sarpsborg and is on a list of frontmen the Black Cats are considering to bolster their attacking options.

Tensions boiled over in a meeting between the Sunderland hierarchy and the Fan Engagement Committee at the Stadium of Light in November, according to The Times.

Sunderland have described a social media post about new signing Kyle Lafferty which inadvertently referred to loyalist pipe bands as a 'genuine mistake'.

Manchester United will make a decision on the future of midfielder James Garner this week amid interest from League One Sunderland.

EXCLUSIVE: Stewart Donald was targeted by Sunderland supporters as he left Fratton Park with his young son following Saturday's 2-0 defeat, before a group of Pompey fans came to his aid.

EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE: A former Sunderland academy physio has been released with no further action after an investigation following his arrest on suspicion of sexual grooming.

The early risers from Coventry City and Sunderland were able to compete for sob stories heading up Kingston Road to St Andrew's for League One's noon kick-off.

EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE AND DAVID COVERDALE: It was the moment when The Office met The Wolf of Wall Street - and the makers of Sunderland 'Til I Die had their opening scene.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Producers Fulwell 73 had planned for series two to be the last. But the suspension of this season may open the door for them to revisit their Sunderland story.

With football currently suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, fans are left without a fix. However, as of Wednesday there will be some small respite.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CRAIG HOPE:There is one scene that Charlie Methven - the overnight star of Sunderland 'Til I Die series two - had to watch through his fingertips.

Sunderland have placed its first-team players, contracted academy players and backroom staff on furlough leave due to coronavirus.

In his teen years, a professional deal at Sunderland was in the balance, but it was Henderson's well-known dedication and attitude which swung the decision in his favour.

Henderson has lifted the Champions League and is on the verge of winning the Premier League and Bruce insists he saw Henderson's devoted attitude and sense of authority straight away.

SPECIAL REPORT: Sportsmail previously revealed that majority shareholder Stewart Donald used Sunderland's parachute payments to finance the majority of the £37m purchase of club.

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has entered the closing stages of negotiations with the Chinese Super League club and his protracted exit is close to being finalised.

Manchester United are now reportedly the front runners to sign Joe Hugill from Sunderland, according to The Sun. The 16-year-old striker has impressed in the Black Cats' youth system.

Manchester United have agreed a £250,000 deal with Sunderland for teenage striker Joe Hugill. The 16-year old is an old fashioned style centre forward.

Reddit user sunrisewedding took to the 'AmItheA**hole' subreddit this week to ask if she was in the wrong for planning such an early wedding ceremony.

PETER HITCHENS: I have come to hate this beautiful weather, the loveliest spring for 50 years.

The donations from Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google.org are going to GiveDirectly, a charity which provides cash to needy families in the San Francisco Bay area.

At a coronavirus pandemic press briefing at Downing Street today, Medical Director for NHS England Professor Stephen Powis shared data showing the public's movements for the first time.

Using just an iPhone 11, Michael Schneider snapped a stunning image the moment the moment ice crystals froze midair, creating a perfect 'halo' around the sun while skiing in the Swiss Alps.

According to Samsung, the phone will be released on February 14 for $1,380 - several hundred dollars more than Apple's most expensive iPhone 11 Pro model. It will be available on

Billionaire Warren Buffet shared in a recent interview with CNBC that his 'flip phone is permanently gone' and he is now using Apple's 'latest model' smartphone, the iPhone 11.

A retired NHS worker snapped this uplifting picture of what appears to be silver-lined clouds in the shape of the British Isles.

With the smell of a spring Budget in the air comes the rumour of yet more restrictions on the tax relief available to boost our pension saving. But how will Mr Sunak treat pension savers?

People on social media have been trying to practice their own prosperity theology and resell tickets for Kanye West's Sunday Service at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church.

The top rate of income tax is officially 45p, yet the removal of the personal allowance means the real top rate is effectively 60p - and those who pay it are not Britain's top earners.

NASA and ESA are teaming up to send a the Solar Orbiter to the sun. The craft will study the massive star for seven years and gather data that will help experts better understand solar storms.

The Solar Orbiter lifted off from Cape Canaveral Sunday night and will maneuver into a unique out-of-plane orbit that will take it over both of the sun's poles, never photographed before.

NASA's Juno reveals the first accurate estimate of the total amount of water in Jupiter's atmosphere. Water makes up around 0.25% of the molecules in the planet's atmosphere at its equator.

'Director's View' lets users cycle between different lenses on their phones and also allows them to 'lock on' to a subjects that they're recording, keeping them in focus according to snippets of code.

The underwater skeletons of 185 wooden ships, referred to as ghost vessels, were deliberately sunk or have been left to decompose for hundreds of years in the Potomac River, Maryland, US.

Samsung Pay is moving from the smartphone and into your hands, as the firm is set to launch a physical card in the US this summer in a bid to take on its rival Apple that rolled out a card in 2019.

In a sign that customers might be getting tired of splashing their cash on expensive gadgets, Samsung and Apple, have both released two new models that can be bought for under £450.

Rishi Sunak today announced any homeowner who is adversely affected by coronavirus will be eligible for a three month mortgage payment 'holiday'.

Sun TV is promoted by DMK chief M Karunanidhi's grand-nephew Kalanithi Maran

Liquor shares end mixed despite DMK's defeat

Tanishq, a jewellery brand from the house of Tata, on Saturday announced plans to re- open its 328 stores across the country in a phased manner by opening its first 50 stores by Sunday. It would continue to comply with all rules related to COVID-19 lockdown while re-opening and running operations, said a statement. Tanishq said it has rolled out a gold standard safety e-book that reiterates the company's commitment to safety and well-being of customers and its employees at the store. It covers all staff and customer touch points, entailing numerous safety measures, including contactless shopping and strict social distancing at all times, the statement said. CEO of jewellery division at Titan Company Limited Ajoy Chawla said: We are reopening our stores in a phased manner because each store has to pass an eligibility test prior to re-commencing operations. This is to ensure each store is 100 per cent prepared to manage the store, staff and customers.

Many widows and destitute women in the fishing communities of Tamilnadu have been left out of tsunami relief because of acute gender bias. Men are also abusing relief funds on liquor, with women bearing the brunt. In the meantime, NGOs are trying to erode rigid attitudes with social awareness, reports Freny Manecksha.